Israel Successfully Tests Game-Changing Laser-Based Defense System ‘Iron Beam’

By: | April 20th, 2022

Israel deployed Iron Dome in 2011 to protect its territory from incoming aerial threats. It has successfully intercepted over 2,500 projectiles since it was rolled out. Israel says it has a success rate of over 90%.

But the Iron Dome system is quite an expensive proposition

One Iron Dome battery reportedly comes with a price tag of over $50 million. Each interceptor missile is estimated between $50k and $100k to shoot down an $800 rocket launched toward Israel from Gaza.

Now, in a big breakthrough, , Israel’s Ministry of Defense has tested a laser-based system called Iron Beam to reduce the exorbitant expenses incurred in shooting down aerial threats.

The laser-based interception system is equally accurate but costs a measly $3.50 to fire

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “This may sound like science-fiction, but it’s real,”

“The Iron Beam’s interceptions are silent, they’re invisible and they only cost around $3.50 apiece,” he added.

He tweeted, “Israel has successfully tested the new “Iron Beam” laser interception system. This is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses a laser to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets & mortars at the cost of $3.50 per shot.”

Details around the effectiveness of the Iron Beam are yet to be revealed but the system has demonstrated its effectiveness against a wide range of aerial threats during tests last month. The Iron beam air Defense system is expected to be pushed into service within a year’s time.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

More articles from Industry Tap...